Mail pouch exchange apparatus



Jan. 3, 1 939.

D. F. DOUGLASS M AIL POUCH EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed April 12; 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet`l INVENTOR f @mfg/mw@ ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1939. D, E DOUGLASS 2,142,607

MAIL POUCH EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Shea?i 2 l fl l l 2, l ff 22; i 355g i I 22 I I E: if? l 23 z 9 l i 3 2/ 2f V.elf

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3l JOL) ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE of S. C

one-half to John F. McLeod, Chesterfield,

Application April 12, 1937, Serial No. 136,462

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mail pouch exchange apparatus and has for an object to provide a spring actuated4 mechanically tripped projecting mechanism on the car floor in combination with a receiving and delivering station arranged at the side of the track and having two compartments therein, the lower being a receiving chamber and the upper being provided with projecting mechanism similar to that upon the car floor, whereby mail pouches may be rapidly and safely exchanged from trans moving at a high rate of speed.

A further object is to provide coacting means including a trigger provided with a crank and a rod adapted to trip the trigger for simultaneously releasing both projecting mechanisms, one of the trip rods projecting from the station and the other projecting from the-car wall and both trip rods being interchangeably received in a series of openings whereby tripping of the projecting mechanism may be adjusted to the rate of speed of the train.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture and install, and which will not easily get out of order under severe conditions of service.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view oaf a mail car and a mail station, both being equipped with projecting mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a crosssectional view of the mail car and mail station shown in Figure 1 with the projecting apparatus of both the car and station in tripped position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a mail car showing the projecting mechanism in full lines in operative position and in dotted lines in position swung back against the wall out of the way when not in use.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the projecting mechanism in top plan.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I()v designates generallyv a mail car and II designates a receiving andV 'delivering station. The station is arranged at the side of the track I2 and is provided with two compartments I3 and I4. The lower compartment I3 is a, receiving chamber and the upper compartment is a projecting chamber. Both compartments are open at the front to provide free transfer of mail pouches I5 between the mail car and mail station.

The mail car and the projecting chamber of the mail station are both provided with projecting mechanisms each of which is a duplicate of the other so that a description will suflice for both.

The projecting mechanism comprises parallel rear and front sills I6 and I1 arranged longitudinally of the mail car contiguous to the door opening. The sills are connected by guide rods I8. Both sills are hinged at one end as shown at I9 to the car floor so that the projecting mechanism may be swung to released position away from the door opening as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3. The mail pouch carrier comprises a vertical back wall 20, a horizontal bottom wall 2l, and end walls 22 connecting the back wall and the bottom wall. The carrier may be formed of sheet metal and when so formed the bottom wall 2| may be extended beyond the end walls 22 and the extended portions rolled to form guide eyes 23 which loosely receive the guide rods I8.

A pair of strong helical springs 24 are connected at their rear ends to lugs 25 whichA project downwardly from the back wall 20 of the carrier. The front ends of the springs are connected to the front sill I1 by eye screws 26 or other connectors. When the carrier is retracted along the guide rods I8 to the rear sill I 6 the springs are expanded and store up energy to advance the carrier forcibly to the front sill for projecting the mail pouch therefrom.

A trigger 21, in the nature of a long rod, is rotatably mounted in a stationary bearing 28 on the car. The inner end of the trigger is bent upwardly as shown at 29 to engage lagainst the front of the bottom wall of the carrier and hold the carrier stationary against tension of the springs 24. The front end of the trigger is bent downwardly as shown at 30 and projects outside of the car to be intercepted by a release pin 3 I The release pin 3I is adjustably receivable in spaced annular members 32 having respective iianges 33 bolted as shown at 34 to the car wall. These annular members are arranged on each side of the door opening of the car. The pin may be inserted in the annular member nearest the door or farthest from the door o1' in the intermediate annular member according to the speed of the mail car so that tripping of the trigger will be accomplished at the proper moment to assure the mail pouch of being projected safely and accurately into the car. A helical spring 35 is connected to the rear sill I6 and to the upturned inner end 29 of the trigger and retracts the trigger to be disposed Within the mail car when the carrier is at its forward limit of stroke so that there Will be no dangerous projections outside of the mail car until the carrier is loaded for use.

A back stop 36 in the nature of a screen Wire curtain, is suspended from a bracket 31' that ex tends longitudinally of the car wall. The mail pouch is stopped by the yielding back stop without danger to the mail clerks or injury to the pouch or its contents.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood Without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

A projecting mechanism for mail pouches comprising parallel supporting sills, guide rods carried by the sills, hinges connected to the sills and upon Which the sills may be rocked vertically to inoperative position, a carrier slidably mounted on said guide rods, a spring attached to the carrier and to one of the sills for moving the carrier to projecting position, a trigger rod having oppositely directed cranks at its ends, one of the cranks being adapted to engage the carrier to hold the carrier in cocked position against the tension of said spring, a pin projecting into the path of the other crank and adapted to trip the trigger rod to release the carrier for movement by action of the spring, and a spring connected to the trigger rod and to one of the sills for yieldably holding the trigger rod in released position.

DANIEL F. DOUGLASS. 

